Latest UK University Changes Explained

The Higher Education system in the UK is in a period of huge change as new government legislation is affecting everything from tuition fees to international visas. To keep you right up to date with how these changes may affect you, here is a summary of the recent developments.

International Student Numbers Expected to Double

The number of non-EU international students coming to study in the UK is expected to double in the next four years as universities look to benefit from the extra money they bring in tuition fees.

Some notable examples include Durham University which is planning for a 97% rise in the number of international students between now and 2014-15, and Exeter which expects a 73% rise.

This would continue the current trend which saw the number of non-EU students rise by 7.8%, from 2009 to 2010, with a 27.8% increase in students from China and a 20.4% rise in students from Singapore.

Brazilian Students Encouraged to Study in UK

The British universities minister, David Willetts, flew to South America last month to set up a scheme that will encourage 10,000 Brazilians to come and study in the UK. The Brazilian government would provide scholarships of up to £18,700 per student to give its brightest students the chance to study at a world class university in the UK.

Although it is expected that the Brazilian undergraduates would study here for just one year, Universities UK believe that:

"A successful scholarship programme will bring clear benefits to the UK and Brazilian HE sectors and their wider economies, contributing to the knowledge base in both countries, encouraging collaboration in world-class research and facilitating staff and student exchange."

Increases in Tuition Fees Approved

More than a third of England's universities have had their plans to charge Home/EU students £9,000 for every course officially approved. What's more, over half will charge the full amount for at least some of their courses, starting in 2012. However, the fees watchdog Office for Fair Access still expects that far fewer than half of students will actually be charged the full £9,000 per year.

This is due to the fact that far more money is to be spent on providing poorer students with the chance to study at university, through fee-waivers, bursaries and outreach activities such as summer schools and targeted trips to primary and secondary schools.

In Wales, the figures are even more startling, as eight out of 10 universities will charge the maximum tuition fees of £9,000 per year for some or all their courses by 2012. However, Welsh students and students from the EU will have the increase in fees paid for them by the Welsh Government, meaning they will only pay roughly £3,400 a year.

As you can see, there are constant new developments at the moment in the ever-changing UK universities' system, so make sure you check our blog regularly to keep right up to date.

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